We have come a long way from washing dishes by hand, with modern appliances doing the job better and faster. Using less effort and saving time in the kitchen, has made the dishwasher a must have in new homes.
Unlike manual dishwashing, which relies largely on physical scrubbing to remove soiling, the mechanical dishwasher appliance cleans by spraying hot water on the dishes. First detergent-added water is used for cleaning purposes, then clean water to remove the detergent residue. More advanced dishwasher models offered by manufacturers such as Bosch Appliance, have multiple wash and rinse periods within the complete cycle and rinsing aid can be added to the rinse cycle. As there is no human contact during the process, strong detergents may be used which would be too alkaline for habitual exposure to the skin. Latest Bosch dishwashers have a heating element to achieve fast drying and sanitation of the dishes.
Modern dishwashers are descended from the 1886 invention of Josephine Cochrane, also hand-powered, which she unveiled at the 1893 Toronto Fair. Models installed with permanent plumbing arrived in the 1920s. In 1937, William Howard Livens invented a small dishwasher suitable for home kitchens. It had all the features of a modern dishwasher appliance, including a front door for loading, a wire rack to hold crockery and a rotating sprayer. Electric drying elements were added in 1940, an innovative feature researched by Bosch. Adoption was greatest at first in commercial environments, but by the 1970s dishwashers had become commonplace in domestic residences in the US and Toronto, as the rest of Canada.
Development and design improving is still a continuous process among top appliance manufacturers, especially Bosch. Mid-to-higher end North American dishwashers often come with hard food disposal units, which behave like miniature garbage disposal units that eliminate large pieces of food waste from the wash water. One manufacturer that is known for omitting hard food disposals is Bosch, a German brand; however, Bosch does so in order to reduce noise.
Dishwashers are slowly coming close to a necessity in Toronto and North America, at the same level as other appliances such as the refrigerator and oven. Early models were not able to handle tough jobs, but with steam technology, stronger detergents and better overall design any dishwashing job is done to perfection thanks to innovative manufacturers such as Bosh Appliance.
